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North, South Korea to Hold Official Talks Next Week

Updated 01.04.18 11:55PM ET / Published 01.04.18 11:21PM ET

Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

North and South Korea have agreed to hold official talks next week for the first time in more than two years after Pyongyang took Seoul up on an offer to sit down for dialogue. South Korea’s Unification Ministry announced the news early Friday, saying officials from both sides would meet in the border truce village of Panmunjom to discuss the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The two sides will also discuss how to improve overall ties after a year of heightened tensions. North Korea reportedly agreed to the talks after the U.S. and South Korea delayed an annual joint military exercise, a frequent source of hostility between the rival Koreas. The apparent easing of tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues his saber-rattling with the U.S., having announced in a New Year’s Day address that he has a “nuclear button” on his desk ready to be used at any time. President Trump was quick to retort that he has a nuclear button of his own—and it’s “much bigger.”